Does anyone here autocross or race on a circuit?

Autocross, Road Racing, Rallycross, Rally...
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gizmo
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Re: Does anyone here autocross or race on a circuit?

Post by gizmo »

Thanks guys, important replies. If I took my daily driver to the track to race then I wouldn't race with another driver on the track just because of the nature of racing. I've seen too many suspension components break under high stress and it's never pretty watching a nice piece of machinery go careening into a wall.

By not covered, do you mean that anything that happens while you're at the track isn't covered, or by being at the track the policy is voided?

Truthfully, if I can't take my daily driver out to the track then I can't afford to race whatsoever. It's embarassing enough to even consider taking a stock tC to the track, especially because, I think with a little practice on my manaul techinques, I could actually drive impressively. But I can't afford a racecar. I can barefly afford my tC. So I certainly can't afford a car designed for racing, much less afford to upkeep it when it's being used solely for racing.

Sorry to waste your time with my dead end ideas. It would've been nice to get some track time experience DCHTing. Although it was a somewhat idle thought, this helped put things in perspective.
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Re: Does anyone here autocross or race on a circuit?

Post by jomotopia »

gizmo wrote:By not covered, do you mean that anything that happens while you're at the track isn't covered, or by being at the track the policy is voided?
damage from that incident won't be covered. you'll still have a valid policy. though i don't know what they will do after they deny your claim if you actually try to get them to cover it.
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gizmo
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Re: Does anyone here autocross or race on a circuit?

Post by gizmo »

I know track time is totally different. Wander off the track and into the sand: at best a destroyed suspension for the wheel that initially came into contact with the patch, at worst the car rolls and much more than the suspension breaks.

Moral of the story: I need a racecar to do my racing. And I need a winning lotto ticket for the racecar :lol:

I know I won't wander off the track but I don't know how much stress my car can take, and seeing that mechanical failure is virtually unpredictable, I cannot expand upon my skills at this time :evil:

Thanks for the feedback. Very informative and well appreciated.
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Re: Does anyone here autocross or race on a circuit?

Post by Prodigal Son »

gizmo wrote:Truthfully, if I can't take my daily driver out to the track then I can't afford to race whatsoever.
There's still autocross. It may not teach you the DCHT under braking that you are interested in, but I bet you would still learn a heck of a lot and have a lot of fun for very little risk or expense.
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Re: Does anyone here autocross or race on a circuit?

Post by Prodigal Son »

gizmo wrote: But if Prodigal says it wears then it does!
In this case, I merely pass on what I have heard from sources I consider to be reliable. I have no personal experience of lapping, and only a one day school in auto crossing.
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Re: Does anyone here autocross or race on a circuit?

Post by gizmo »

Well, I signed up for this weekends SCCA autocross event, but I'm not sure I can afford to go. I hit a pothole in pitch black night and the sidewall of my Yokohoma S32A has a gash. The tire pressure hasn't changed but I fear I need to replace the tire before I can put it under load. The damn tire is 200 bucks.

I hate potholes.
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Re: Does anyone here autocross or race on a circuit?

Post by Nychold »

gizmo wrote:Well, I signed up for this weekends SCCA autocross event, but I'm not sure I can afford to go. I hit a pothole in pitch black night and the sidewall of my Yokohoma S32A has a gash. The tire pressure hasn't changed but I fear I need to replace the tire before I can put it under load. The damn tire is 200 bucks.

I hate potholes.
Check with your warranty on your car. Potholes are considered "road hazard", and it may be covered.
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Re: Does anyone here autocross or race on a circuit?

Post by gizmo »

That would be great because the rim has a divot on the outer edge which is nothing more than an aesthetic problem.

I have the gold warranty.

Also, I wanted to note a difficultly with looking far ahead: I learned through several driving schools to always keep my eyes as far ahead as possible and allow peripheral vision to detect things happening closely, but sometimes in low visibility when taking a blind turn in the still of the night, doing so makes potholes unavoidable. I still say I wouldn't have seen the damn thing anyway.
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Re: Does anyone here autocross or race on a circuit?

Post by AHTOXA »

Tell me about potholes. I thought I left half the front suspension in one the other day.
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Re: Does anyone here autocross or race on a circuit?

Post by Bawked »

The 2 is going to a race track this year, just need new rims, exhaust, itbs conversion, shim under bucket conversion, port and polish and it'll be really :lol: might aswell make the engine spin for racing!
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Re: Does anyone here autocross or race on a circuit?

Post by Prodigal Son »

gizmo wrote:Well, I signed up for this weekends SCCA autocross event, but I'm not sure I can afford to go. I hit a pothole in pitch black night and the sidewall of my Yokohoma S32A has a gash.
I'm pretty sure they would not let you autocross with a tire in that condition anyway.
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Re: Does anyone here autocross or race on a circuit?

Post by AHTOXA »

Depending on the actual gash. The outer layer of rubber on the sidewall is not a structural piece. If it's deeper - then yes.
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Re: Does anyone here autocross or race on a circuit?

Post by gizmo »

Okay, I checked the tire warranty and road hazards are not covered. For those with scions: can I replace the rear two tires with a different brand without effecting the car's handling? I'd like to buy a tire that warranties road hazards, should one exist, but I know I need to replace both back tires at best, and all tires at worst -- should I decide to change the brand of the damanged tire. Right?
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Re: Does anyone here autocross or race on a circuit?

Post by jomotopia »

usually the road hazard warranty comes from the place you buy the tires from, not the tire manufacturer.
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Re: Does anyone here autocross or race on a circuit?

Post by AHTOXA »

Yes, it's best to change the tires at least one pair at a time. I prefer all 4 but that's expensive as hell.

It's OK to get a different brand on the back but you must keep in mind that different traction capabilities of different tires will affect the handling no matter what. This may be especially noticeable on wet roads. Your car might be more prone to either understeer or oversteer after you switch tires.
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